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This blending of law enforcement agencies is quite troubling for many who value the separation of these bodies and the quickly withering state’s rights.

These TSA programs are just one of many ways in which this is done. One of the most prominent is the so-called fusion centers and a similarly troubling development is the Pentagon’s 1033 program which allows local law enforcement to acquire heavy-duty military hardware.

The TSA does not give any advance warning of where these operations will be conducted, supposedly for security reasons.

Fotenos said that this is not the first time that the TSA has conducted such an operation at the Alton Amtrak station.

Indeed, he said that they conducted one just around a year ago, which is a bit surprising given that Alton’s population in 2010 was a mere 27,865 and the city is only 16.6 square miles.

This city, located on the Mississippi River around 15 miles north of St. Louis, Missouri, is hardly a target which would attract terrorist activity.

But of course, such logical assessments are never made by federal agencies in their quest to expand their presence across the nation and into every town and city, making it impossible to escape their checkpoints and grope-downs.

“We’ve done [these operations] at Amtrak stations and mu...

This blending of law enforcement agencies is quite troubling for many who value the separation of these bodies and the quickly withering state’s rights.

These TSA programs are just one of many ways in which this is done. One of the most prominent is the so-called fusion centers and a similarly troubling development is the Pentagon’s 1033 program which allows local law enforcement to acquire heavy-duty military hardware.

The TSA does not give any advance warning of where these operations will be conducted, supposedly for security reasons.

Fotenos said that this is not the first time that the TSA has conducted such an operation at the Alton Amtrak station.

Indeed, he said that they conducted one just around a year ago, which is a bit surprising given that Alton’s population in 2010 was a mere 27,865 and the city is only 16.6 square miles.

This city, located on the Mississippi River around 15 miles north of St. Louis, Missouri, is hardly a target which would attract terrorist activity.

But of course, such logical assessments are never made by federal agencies in their quest to expand their presence across the nation and into every town and city, making it impossible to escape their checkpoints and grope-downs.

TSA "agents" are not trained officers. They are clowns hired and put in security guard suits. Many of them have even less training than security guards. Releasing them on the public highway systems, giving them unmerited official authority and expecting them to do anything but bumble around and violate citizens' rights is ludicrous.

This blending of law enforcement agencies is quite troubling for many who value the separation of these bodies and the quickly withering state’s rights.

These TSA programs are just one of many ways in which this is done. One of the most prominent is the so-called fusion centers and a similarly troubling development is the Pentagon’s 1033 program which allows local law enforcement to acquire heavy-duty military hardware.

The TSA does not give any advance warning of where these operations will be conducted, supposedly for security reasons.

Fotenos said that this is not the first time that the TSA has conducted such an operation at the Alton Amtrak station.

Indeed, he said that they conducted one just around a year ago, which is a bit surprising given that Alton’s population in 2010 was a mere 27,865 and the city is only 16.6 square miles.

This city, located on the Mississippi River around 15 miles north of St. Louis, Missouri, is hardly a target which would attract terrorist activity.

But of course, such logical assessments are never made by federal agencies in their quest to expand their presence across the nation and into every town and city, making it impossible to escape their checkpoints and grope-downs.

“We’ve done [these operations] at Amtrak stations and mu...

This blending of law enforcement agencies is quite troubling for many who value the separation of these bodies and the quickly withering state’s rights.

These TSA programs are just one of many ways in which this is done. One of the most prominent is the so-called fusion centers and a similarly troubling development is the Pentagon’s 1033 program which allows local law enforcement to acquire heavy-duty military hardware.

The TSA does not give any advance warning of where these operations will be conducted, supposedly for security reasons.

Fotenos said that this is not the first time that the TSA has conducted such an operation at the Alton Amtrak station.

Indeed, he said that they conducted one just around a year ago, which is a bit surprising given that Alton’s population in 2010 was a mere 27,865 and the city is only 16.6 square miles.

This city, located on the Mississippi River around 15 miles north of St. Louis, Missouri, is hardly a target which would attract terrorist activity.

But of course, such logical assessments are never made by federal agencies in their quest to expand their presence across the nation and into every town and city, making it impossible to escape their checkpoints and grope-downs.